UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLAR
PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
Each Semester, several undergraduate students from every academic discipline will present their research
findings to faculty, staff, members of McHenry County College and general community, and their families and
friends. Several of the oral and poster presentations make the Symposium an exciting celebration of the
undergraduate research culture at McHenry County College.
If you are presenting at this semester’s Symposium, these Guidelines can help you prepare an effective
presentation that communicates the importance and significance of your research.
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ORAL PRESENTATIONS
An oral presentation is more than just reading a
paper or set of slides to an audience. How you
deliver your presentation is at least as important in
communicating your message effectively as what
you say. Use these Guidelines to learn simple tools
that help you prepare and present an effective
presentation, and design PowerPoint slides that
support and enhance your talk.
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OTHER PRESENTATIONS
In addition to the traditional poster and oral
presentations, we also encourage performing and
visual arts presentations. This includes music,
dance, theater, drawing, painting, photography,
sculpture, and video. We can provide the necessary
equipment to play sound and video. A table for
artwork displays can also be requested for the
poster session.
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POSTER PRESENTATIONS
A poster lets you summarize your research in an
engaging visual format. Effective posters
communicate the significance of the research, an
overview of how the research was conducted, the
results, and the implications of those results. These
Guidelines help you design a poster to
communicate your message clearly.
PowerPoint Presentation
Cover the techniques of utilizing PowerPoint.
Pete Lilly, Professional Development, A210
Research and Library
Overview of how to conduct a Literature Review;
providing useful research tools
Janet Scott, Library
.
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]
3B
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
You are allotted 15 minutes for your presentation, followed
by a 3-minute question and answer period. A faculty
moderator keeps track of your presentation time and may
also facilitate the discussion.
Please assume that all equipment you requested in your
application will be provided, unless we specifically ask you to
bring your presentation on a different medium.
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P rep a rin g a n E ffectiv e P resen ta tion
An effective presentation is more than just standing up and
giving information. A presenter must consider how best to
communicate their information to the audience. Use these
tips to create a presentation that is both informative and
interesting.
you want to know, as soon as possible, if you are close to
that limit.
Create effective notes for yourself. Have notes that you
can read. Do not write out your entire talk; use an outline or
other brief reminders of what you want to say. Make sure the
text is large enough that you can read it from a distance.
Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your
presentation, the more comfortable you will be in front of an
audience. Practice in front of a friend or two and ask for
their feedback. Record yourself and listen to it critically.
Make it better and do it again.
Organize your thoughts. Start with an outline and develop
good transitions between sections. Emphasize the real-world
significance of your research.
Have a strong opening. Why should the audience listen to
you? One good way to get their attention is to start with a
question, whether or not you expect an answer.
Define terms early. If you are using terms that may be new
to the audience, introduce them early in your presentation.
Once an audience gets lost in unfamiliar terminology, it is
extremely difficult to get them back on track.
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P ow erP oin t T ip s
Microsoft PowerPoint is a tremendous tool for
presentations. It is also a tool that is sometimes not used
effectively. If you are using PowerPoint, use these tips to
enhance your presentation.
Use a large font. As a general rule, avoid text smaller than
24 point.
Use a clean typeface. Sans serif typefaces, such as Arial, are
generally easier to read on a screen than serifed typefaces,
such as Times New Roman.
Finish with a bang. Find one or two sentences that sum up
the importance of your research. How is the world better off
as a result of what you have done?
Use minimal text. Use bullet points, not complete
sentences. The text on your slide provides an outline to what
you are saying. If the entire text of your presentation is on
your slides, there is no reason for the audience to listen to
you. A common standard is the 6/7 rule: no more than six
bulleted items per slide and no more than seven words per
item.
Design PowerPoint slides to introduce important
information. Consider doing a presentation without slides.
Then consider which points you cannot make without them.
Create only those slides that are necessary to improve your
communication with the audience.
Use contrasting colors. Use a dark text on a light
background or a light text on a dark background. Avoid
combinations of colors that look similar. Avoid red/green
combinations, as this is the most common form of color
blindness.
Time yourself. Do not wait until the last minute to time
your presentation. You only have 15 minutes to speak, so
Use special effects sparingly. Using animations, cool
transition effects, sounds and other special effects is an
effective way to make sure the audience notices your slides.
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]
Unfortunately, that means that they are not listening to what
you are saying. Use special effects only when they are
necessary to make a point.
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P resen tin g E ffectiv ely
When you start your presentation, the audience will be
interested in what you say. Use these tips to help keep them
interested throughout your presentation.
they support your point. Explain the x- and y-axes and show
how the graph progresses from left to right.
Pause. Pauses add audible structure to your presentation.
They emphasize important information, make transitions
obvious, and give the audience time to catch up between
points and to read new slides. Pauses always feel much
longer to speakers than to listeners. Practice counting silently
to three (slowly) between points.
Avoid filler words. Um, like, you know, and many others.
To an audience, these are indications that you do not know
what to say; you sound uncomfortable, so they start to feel
uncomfortable as well. Speak slowly enough that you can
collect your thoughts before moving ahead. If you really do
not know what to say, pause silently until you do.
Relax. It is hard to relax when you are nervous, but your
audience will be much more comfortable if you are too.
Breathe. It is fine to be nervous. In fact, you should be—all
good presenters are nervous every time they are in front of
an audience. The most effective way to keep your nerves in
check—aside from a lot of practice beforehand—is to
remember to breathe deeply throughout your presentation.
Be excited. You are talking about something you find
exciting. If you remember to be excited, your audience will
feel it and automatically become more interested.
Speak with confidence. When you are speaking, you are the
authority on your topic, but do not pretend that you know
everything. If you do not know the answer to a question,
admit it. Consider deferring the question to your mentor or
offer to look into the matter further.
Make eye contact with the audience. Your purpose is to
communicate with your audience, and people listen more if
they feel you are talking directly to them. As you speak, let
your eyes settle on one person for several seconds before
moving on to somebody else. You do not have to make eye
contact with everybody, but make sure you connect with all
areas of the audience equally.
Avoid reading from the screen. First, if you are reading
from the screen, you are not making eye contact with your
audience. Second, if you put it on your slide, it is because you
wanted them to read it, not you.
Blank the screen when a slide is unnecessary. A slide
that is not related to what you are speaking about can distract
the audience. Pressing the letter B or the period key displays
a black screen, which lets the audience concentrate solely on
your words. Press the same key to restore the display.
Use a pointer only when necessary. If you are using a laser
pointer, remember to keep it off unless you need to highlight
something on the screen.
Acknowledge the people who supported your research.
Be sure to thank the people who made your research
possible, including your mentor, research team, collaborators,
and other sources of funding and support.
Keep these Tips in Mind
• • • • • • • • • • • • Establish early a clear and unifying point.
Clearly explain the applicability of your research.
Be sensitive to those outside your discipline.
Before the Symposium, present to friends and family and
invite their feedback. Ask them questions to see if you
communicated your points successfully.
Include or discuss the following, if applicable: Introduction,
Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References,
and Acknowledgements.
Make sure that your presentation material is readable,
grammatically correct, and has been edited and proofread
thoroughly.
Cite sources to support your ideas and provide credibility
to your findings. Provide credit for text, graphs, etc.
Always acknowledge your sponsors and mentors.
Anticipate possible questions and prepare answers.
Be proud of your work, but acknowledge errors. Explain
unexpected results and future research that is needed.
Always be truthful in presenting your information, and
respect your audience.
Bring a pen and pad of paper for notes and to record
names and addresses of contacts.
Explain your equations and graphs. When you display
equations, explain them fully. Point out all constants and
dependant and independent variables. With graphs, tell how
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]
4B
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
If you are displaying a poster, it will be displayed on an easel
set up (you can request additional easels or a table instead if
that better suits your presentation materials).
Posters are displayed throughout the day. Please do not
remove your poster until the end of the day’s activities.
You must be available, next to your poster during the Poster
Session, to explain and answer questions about your
research. During this time, stand to the side of your display
so that you do not block it.
to your poster board firmly (spray adhesive, found in art
supply stores, works best). All posters MUST be complete
and ready for presentation upon arrival. Incomplete posters
will not be displayed.
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Does Your Poster Communicate its Message?
Many posters look great but fail to communicate their
information clearly. Ask yourself these questions when you
are designing your poster.
Prepare and practice a short summary speech—no more than
3 minutes—about your project. This is an excellent
networking opportunity, so it is important to speak and
interact professionally. You will receive lots of feedback and
exposure as well.
Is your message clear? Focus on the results and their
importance. Avoid overly detailed descriptions of your
methods.
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D esig n in g Y our P oster
Poster presentations must use a 3’ or 4’ (height) by 4’ (width)
poster board, which may be purchased at a stationery or art
supply store. URSP does not provide poster boards unless
purchasing presentation materials would create a serious
financial hardship.
Space on a poster is limited, so pick what to present wisely.
Your display should be self-explanatory and have a logical
flow—viewers should be able to follow the order even if you
are not present. Start with a rough draft of your design on
paper, using graph paper or Post-it notes to simulate
sections. The sample layouts at the end of these Guidelines
may give you some layout ideas.
Place your title at the top of the poster and make sure that
the text is large and clear. Include your name and major, and
the name and department of your faculty mentor, in addition
to other co-authors.
Incorporate appropriate graphics in your poster. Label or
describe any charts, tables, figures, graphs, or photos that
you use. Make sure all edges line up evenly.
Before you attach the pieces to your board, edit and review
them and check your spelling. Be sure to attach all materials
Is everything on your poster critical to communicating
your message? Remove everything that is not vitally
important. Simplify your text by using short bullet points and
phrases instead of complete sentences.
Is your organization easy to follow? Most people read
from top to bottom, then left to right. Consider numbering
your headings to further clarify the flow of information.
Do your headings deliver real information? Good
headings by themselves can summarize the main points of
your poster if readers are in a hurry.
Is your text easy to read? The poster title should be at least
144 point text, and information about the student(s) and
mentor(s) should be 72 points. Headings should be at least
36 point text and easily readable from at least 6 feet. All
other text should be at least 18 point and legible from 4 feet.
Is your poster cluttered by too many fonts? Do not use
more than two typefaces. Instead use bold, italic and size to
set type differently. Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond,
and Verdana are suggested typefaces.
Are your colors distracting? Stick to a simple color scheme
(try a couple that complement or contrast with each other,
such as black or navy on white). Avoid red/green
combinations, as this is the most common form of color
blindness.
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]
Are your graphics clear and easy to understand? Avoid
elements—such as unnecessary background colors and
overly specific labels—that do not add useful information.
Explanations should be within or next to figures, not
referred to from elsewhere.
Does your poster have a good balance between text,
graphics, and white space? Use white space consistently to
emphasize separate sections and to keep the poster from
becoming too cluttered and difficult to read.
Do readers have to move back and forth to read your
poster? Arranging your information in columns makes the
poster easy to read in crowded situations, such as the
Symposium Poster Session.
Can you talk about your poster without reading directly
from it? Be ready to discuss details that questioners cannot
read for themselves. People are interested in additional
information and your interpretations.
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SYMPOSIUM ETIQUETTE
The McHenry County College Undergraduate Research
Scholar Symposium is not only a forum to present your
achievements as an undergraduate researcher, but a
celebration of bringing together a community committed to
excellence and expansion of knowledge. Be an active part of
this community and support your peers, who have also
experienced the trials and successes of the research process,
by attending their presentations and learning about the
research they have completed. Whether you are participating
as a presenter or as an audience member for the oral
presentations, please show respect and courtesy for your
fellow researchers throughout the entire session. If you must
leave during a session, please inform the student room
monitor to arrange for assistance in leaving between
presentations.
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PRESENTATION RESOURCES
These Guidelines offer an overview of how to create an
excellent oral presentation or poster, and how to present it
effectively to your audience. There are many other resources
with more detailed information. Here are several good ones
available on the Web.
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www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/Preparing_talks/TalkStrt.html
www.etsu.edu/scitech/langskil/oral.htm
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O ra l P resen ta tion s
P ow erP oin t
http://www.bates.edu/powerpoint-tips.xml
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/biomed/guides/powerpoint.html
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P oster P resen ta tion s
www.ncsu.edu/project/posters
www.hbv2003.slu.edu/poster_links.html
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]
8B
SAMPLE DESIGNS FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Title of Project
Name of student(s), Major
Faculty mentor(s), Department
Abstract
Methods
Introduction
Figure
Results
Discussion
References
Figure
Figure
Acknowledg-­
ments
Title of Project
Name of student(s), Major
Faculty mentor(s), Department
Abstract
Results
Conclusion
Introduction
References
Figures
Methods
Acknowledgments
Title of Project
Name of student(s), Major
Faculty mentor(s), Department
Graphics
Abstract
Results
Graphics
Conclusion
Figure
Background Information
Figure
References
Figure
Acknowledgments
Contact Info.
Questions? Contact Dr. Flecia Thomas • A257 • (815) 479-7620 • [email protected]